Please?
by Kallipap
Summary: Bella and Edward have been friends since they were children. Now she wants him to help her with a rather delicate situation. How will Bella's request affect them? Will anything be the same again?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

A million thanks to Project Team Beta, and HammondGirl and HollettLA, my betas for this chapter. I really felt sorry for them, when I saw how much they had to fix. My heartfelt thanks and eternal gratitude, for taking the time to do it.

**Chapter 1**

"Please?"

"No."

"Edward!"

"NO!"

"Come on! As a favor! To me? Your best friend in the whole wide world?"

"Bella, please be serious."

"I am serious. Serious as a heart attack. I need to do this."

"No, you don't. I'm not discussing this anymore. Now can we get on with our homework?" He tugs his hair, a tell of his nervousness she knows all too well.

"No, I just remembered that there's something I've got to do. You have to go. Now."

She purses her lips and crosses her hands across her chest.

"We are supposed to be studying for the history test tomorrow."

"Well, something came up. I have to go out."

"Out? With whom? Are you meeting the guys? You didn't say anything."

"No, I'm not meeting the guys. I have a date and I have to get ready." She lowers her eyes and blushes.

"A date? When did that happen?"

He narrows his eyes as he looks at her. Her fidgeting and the scarlet color of her cheeks is a dead giveaway that something's not right.

She's stubborn as hell. She stares back at him, not backing down.

"Bella?"

"What?"

"Who are you going out with?"

"None of your business."

"You're my best friend. Of course it's my business. I don't want to..."

She's fuming now. Her fists clench and release at her sides. Her eyes drop to the floor, not wanting to see him anymore. She thought she could have this with her best friend, someone she trusts, but it looks like it's not meant to be. So James it is.

"You don't want what, Edward? To sleep with me? Okay, I get it. I know I'm not beautiful like Tanya, believe me. I _know_. But that doesn't mean that I don't have another option. I just thought..."

His throat suddenly constricts. He doesn't like her insinuation. She's beautiful, but she doesn't see it. Tanya, in his opinion, is just a pretty face with nothing behind it. Bella is so much more than that. Her few extra pounds make her think she's ugly, and there's nothing he can do to persuade her that she's wrong. She is beautiful inside and out. If she weren't his best friend, he would have grabbed her and kissed the misconception right out of her. But he can't. He can't risk losing her, should something go wrong. He can't get the other option out of his mind.

His jaw clenches, thinking of the meaning behind her words. The thought of someone else touching her... He can't even think about it without seeing red. He pinches the bridge of his nose and lets out an exasperated sigh.

"Would you mind explaining what you mean by having another option?"

She doesn't look at him. Her eyes are trained on the floor, but a telltale blush creeps up her cheeks.

"Bella? What other option?" he insists.

"Edward, can you please just go? I don't want to talk about this. Don't make it any more awkward for me than it already is. Just ten minutes ago, I asked you to have sex with me and you rejected me. I'm mortified! Just...go home and we'll talk some other time. I have to get ready."

She turns her back to him and waits to hear his steps as he leaves. A couple of minutes pass and nothing happens. Her body feels pulled as taut as a guitar string and her breathing is ragged. She angles her face toward him, but doesn't dare to turn around and face him.

His eyes burn a hole in her back. He can't leave. Not without making sure she isn't about to do something stupid. He takes a step toward her and stops. His arm reaches out and stops just inches from her tense shoulders. He wants so much to touch her but is afraid. His self-control is tested daily by her presence but more so today. Her proposition has put in his mind the image of the two of them together, joined in the most intimate of ways, and he can't shake it. His hand trembles and then falls by his side. He grits his teeth and takes a deep breath to try and calm himself. Boy, was that a wrong move!

Her sweet fragrance fills his nostrils, and his body reacts violently to it. He is a seventeen-year-old boy, after all. He can feel his body being pulled by hers, like iron to a magnet. One step brings him right behind her. Her warmth caresses him and wakes up his body. His head lowers and his breath fans her flushed cheeks. There's no touching, not yet. If he touches her now, all will be lost. He won't be able to restrain himself. Her breathing has become heavier, he notices. A small tremor racks her body and his reaction is visceral.

"Bella," he pleads. "I'm afraid I will lose you if this goes wrong. So afraid! But I can't stay away from you anymore."

Her breathing stutters and then stops. Her body is rigid as she fights for air. Her eyes close. Her teeth gnaw at her lower lip. Does he mean it? Does he want her? Could this be true, or is she dreaming?

His hands touch her shoulders and an electric current runs through her. Her heart is trying to beat its way out of her chest. Suddenly she feels his body molding to hers, his whole front side in touch with her back side, and the evidence of his arousal nestles against her bottom. A gasp and a deep moan are her first audible reactions.

"Oh God," she hears him say. His hands move from their perch on her shoulders, moving down her arms and back again. He slides her hair away from her neck and deposits a kiss right at the juncture where her neck meets her shoulder.

She stiffens and a wet wave of arousal floods her. Her feet tremble and she leans on him to stay upright. His hands travel up her torso and cup her breasts, making their sensitive tips harden, and a throaty moan escapes her lips. His hardness is slowly moving against her back, driving her crazy with lust. And she hasn't even kissed him yet.

His hands grab her hips and he thrusts against her, making them both moan and grunt. In a sort of slow, seductive dance, she moves against him, enjoying the power she has over him right now. His breathing is shallow and he calls her name in an agonized whisper.

"Bella, I want you so much. Oh God, I..."

He can't think anymore. All that exists is for him is the way her body molds to his and her breathy moans as he caresses every inch of her skin. He is on fire and couldn't stop doing what he's doing even if the world came to an end right now.

"I want to kiss you. I _have_ to kiss you. Bella..."

He turns her around and attacks her lips with a ferocity that leaves them both breathless. Their bodies meld together, hands squeezing tight, while lips and teeth and tongues fight for domination in a restless battle.

Their breaths are sparse and only taken in between agonized gasps before they attack each other again. He moves them across the room and pins her to the wall. His fingers are grip her hips oh so tight, and her fingers thread through his hair and tug roughly, driving him insane.

"I need you. Oh Bella, yes... Yesss!"

"Edward. God, you...ahhh!" she screams as his teeth find her nipple and gives it a light bite over her shirt. Her hands are against the wall, trying to keep herself upright as the sensations she's feeling for the first time overwhelm her. Her breathing is labored and her heart is beats a mile a minute. His mouth ascends from her breasts to her neck, nipping and licking and sucking, leaving trails of fire in its wake.

His harsh breaths create goose bumps on her skin, and she's had enough. Now it is her turn. In a move he doesn't expect, she turns around and pins him to the wall. Her hands go in his thick mane of hair and pull, lifting his head up to expose his long neck.

She doesn't know how she found the courage to do this, since she's very shy by nature, but the next thing she knows, her tongue laps at his neck and her teeth attach themselves to his breastbone, leaving a mark.

His breath hitches and his eyes are shut tight, as he loses himself in the sensation. He knows that pretty soon it won't be enough, this heavy make-out session. It already isn't. He wants her, wants to feel her naked flesh against his, and before he realizes it, his hands are on her shirt, unbuttoning it. Her hands find the hem of his t-shirt and lift it up, revealing his torso, which heaves with each breath. His trembling fingers are finally able to open her shirt completely.

Then she takes a step back. Her eyes are focused on his as she lowers her arms and discards the shirt, followed by her bra. She sees his pupils widen as he takes in her shape and her taut nipples, and a strangled groan leaves his throat. His eyes alternate between her pert breasts and her flushed cheeks, and he rejoices in the trust she's showing him. She moves back until the back of her legs hit the bed, and then she sits down. Her head is down and her hair falls around her like a curtain, shielding her from his eyes.

_This_ _won't_ _do_, he thinks. He stands before her and touches her chin to lift her head so he can see her eyes.

"You are so beautiful!" he says and she shakes her head.

"Bella, you are the most beautiful girl I know."

Her eyes fill with tears and he can't have that. He falls on his knees in front of her and starts to caress her body.

"Your skin is so soft. The way your body reacts to my touch is heaven. Your lips, your tongue, your hands touching me, it's driving me crazy. I want to touch you everywhere. Will you let me?" he asks.

She nods and he fastens his lips to hers as his hands discover the texture of her soft skin, unhindered by clothes. Her nipples extend, craving his touch, and he gives it to them, making her moan.

Soon his lips join in, followed by his tongue and teeth, tormenting her with nips, licks and soft bites, which elicit cries of pleasure. Her hands keep him there. His touch sets her on fire. She lowers herself on the bed and he follows her, hovering above, taking her in. He continues the trip of discovery, all his senses trained to the signs of her pleasure. When he reaches her waistband, he stops and looks at her. He doesn't want to push her, but he knows that if they continue this path, there is no way back. He has to be sure this is what she wants.

"Bella? Are you... Are you sure you want... We can stop. If you're not ready, I can..." he says, not sure how he's going to accomplish that feat, but if she's not ready, he'll find the strength to stop.

"I'm ready. I want this. I want you. Make love to me, Edward," she says, and his chest tightens. _So_, _this_ _is_ _happening_, he thinks. In a few moments, he's going to be inside her.

He's surprised when he feels her hands glide down his torso; her fingertips scorch his skin with their fiery touch. She maps his pecs, lightly touching his nipples. Her hands slide toward his abdomen and rest on the button of his jeans. His eyes are glued on their movements as they unfasten the button and move down, lowering his zipper. He clenches his jaw and shuts his eyes as the feeling of her hands bring him so close...so close. He takes her hands and puts them by her sides.

"Bella, if you keep this up, it's gonna be over very, very soon," he says through clenched teeth.

She bites her lower lip and more color dyes her fair skin. She takes him in as he rises and removes his shoes, socks, jeans and lastly, his boxers, finally standing before her in all his naked beauty.

He is magnificent, all lean muscle and soft downy hair that leads down to his... _Oh_ _God_, _he is so big,_ she thinks wondering how it's going to fit inside her. His... uh, penis, manhood-oh, what should she call it-seems to notice her devoted attention and stands taller.

She looks up at his face and reddens even more when she realizes that he saw the way she'd been watching him. A soft smile lifts the edges of his lips until he sees her bite her lip. When her tongue soothes the sting, his eyes suddenly darken and become hooded with desire. There is something predatory in his gaze as he stalks her on the bed and resumes his previous caresses on her burning body.

This time, he doesn't stop, and his hands relieve her of her jeans and panties, leaving her completely naked before him. Apprehension takes over her and she lifts her arms to cover her flawed body. He stops her and drives her arms above her head, keeping them there with one of his own, while the other reaches low and starts to massage the small patch of hair hiding her womanhood. Her body convulses as he goes even further, and her back arches off the bed when he touches her clitoris. He starts to draw small circles, making her blood boil and her hips rise to meet his fingers. A cloud of lust covers her, and her panting breaths turn violent when she feels his fingers inside her as she reaches her climax. Slowly coming down from the clouds, she feels him settle above her and his manhood touches her folds. He kisses her on the lips and his voice is strained when he speaks.

"This is going to... Bella, I don't want to hurt you. Promise me you'll stop me if it hurts too much."

She touches his sweaty face as he tries to restrain himself. "I want to feel you inside me. Please, Edward!"

He slowly starts to push forward but has to stop because the sensation of her tight warmth is too much for his wavering control. Deep breaths and her small hands touching him give him courage, and he moves a bit more, until he meets the resistance of her virginity.

His breathing is labored. His hands clutch the sheets and his lips search hers as he surges forward. He finds himself buried to the hilt inside her. He feels her body go rigid and holds completely still to give her time to get over the pain and to adjust to him. The urge to move is driving him insane. Her warmth envelops him, and her tight walls grip him, making him want to consume her. She moves under him, and he pleads through gritted teeth.

"Bella, please don't move... Oh God, Bella. I don't want to hurt you, please..."

She moves again, causing him to lose his grip on sanity, and he starts moving in and out of her in an agonized, slow pace, trying to take it easy on her.

She makes it difficult on him with the way she moves under him and moans and arches her back, meeting his hips with her own while mumbling sweet words in his ears, driving him crazy. His pace quickly picks up and his grunts are echoing in the room, joining hers.

He's close, so close, but he wants to take her with him, so he sits back on his legs and drags her up. He finds her soft spot and caresses it with his thumb until her inner muscles squeeze him and she screams as she comes all around him, drawing his climax as well. His final thrusts drive her into the bed with their force as he empties inside her.

Their breaths are ragged and shallow as they come down from their peak. Hands and lips roam, caressing every surface they can reach.

Bella is so overwhelmed by the perfection of their union that she can't help the tears that escape her eyelids and roll down her cheeks.

When he feels them on his lips, he suddenly grows rigid and internally curses himself for his stupidity. Of course, she must loathe him now! He took her virginity and caused her pain because he is a selfish creature who can't control himself. He will lose her now, for that he's sure. Biting his lip hard enough to draw blood, he lifts up and starts getting dressed. He's certain she won't want to even look at him right now.

He's too ashamed of himself to look her in the eyes, so he keeps his head down and mumbles an apology before leaving her bedroom.

Bella is too stunned to react. In just a few seconds' time she went from blissful to confused to utterly mortified when she realizes that Edward regrets making love to her. _I shouldn't have pushed him_, she thinks. _Now I'm going to lose my best friend_. Her pussy hurts, but it's nothing compared to the pain that gnaws at her heart. "How am I going to face him again? Oh my God, what have I done?" she cries.

Her eyes brim with tears that trickle down her cheeks and fall like little raindrops into her lap. The smell of their sex permeates the room and it makes her nauseous. She wishes she never asked him to make love to her. They would be friends still. He wouldn't have left her as he did just now. But somewhere deep down, she can't help but feel grateful that her first time was with him, and that it was so wonderful. When the initial pain passed, she felt things she had never felt before and isn't sure that she will feel ever again. Her heart stutters when she remembers his face when he came inside of her. That painful pleasure that she had felt only moments before was etched on his face. He had never been more beautiful to her than he was at that moment, and she's going to keep it locked in her heart and mind so that she will never forget it.

.

A/N: Hi! So, this is my story. I hope you enjoy it.

Love, Kallie


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

A million thanks to Project Team Beta, and bigblueboat and Twilightmom505, my betas for this chapter. They whipped my commas into shape. My heartfelt thanks and eternal gratitude, for taking the time to do it.

Please? - Chapter 2

The school bursts with activity as she parks her old Chevy truck and exits. She puts her hands on the truck's door and searches people's faces as she tries to figure out if they can tell what she did last night. She can't seem to find anything however much she searches. Her query is abandoned when she feels the hot body that comes up behind her and molds to hers. Her breathing hitches as she feels the welcome electricity running through her. She _knows_ it's him.

His hands come up to her shoulders and turn her around. Then he proceeds to push her up against her truck door and puts his hands on either side of her head, effectively trapping her. She can't look at him, and he doesn't speak.

His breath fans on her face, lighting her up. She involuntary closes her eyes. She can feel his penetrating gaze burning her skin. His body is so close to hers; it melts her defenses. A shuddering breath leaves her. His proximity wreaks havoc with her heightened senses. Then she hears his voice, so close to her ear.

"Good morning, Bella."

She gulps and tries to speak. "Um...good morning," she, very eloquently, greets him. Her voice, all breathy and soft, sounds nothing like her own.

His nose touches her ear, creating sparks. Then it skims her jaw, runs up her cheek and ends up next to hers, putting his mouth only a few millimeters from her lips. She starts panting now.

"It is a very good morning," he says. "But, I think last night was even better."

A moan unwillingly escapes from her lips. She can feel her breasts touching his chest as her breathing becomes deeper and faster. Her arousal begins to flood her panties as the images from last night, conjured by his words, invade her foggy brain.

She licks her lips, and her tongue touches his lips. Immediately, his body crushes to hers, and his breathing becomes as ragged as her own.

"Bella..." he pants "…I want to kiss you."

She doesn't respond verbally. She lifts her hands that have been at her sides, bracing her against her car door, and she touches his abdomen. From there, they trek up his torso, around his neck and fist in his hair. In a bold move she never thought she could make, she tugs at it, making him moan. She licks his lips again, deliberately this time.

His groan empowers her, makes her feel that she isn't the only one burning here. Her teeth, that softly bite his bottom lip, cause him to hiss.

Then everything explodes as their mouths come together in a tangle of lips, teeth, tongues and moans. They kiss until they have to break apart, in order to get a precious breath in, and then they're back, even more ferocious than before.

He pushes his body into hers, trying to come as close to her as physically possible while his hands roam her body, igniting her. She loses all thoughts of her surroundings, of the people around them. All she can feel is his warmth that engulfs her. The spark between them turns into a roaring fire that consumes her.

"Bella," she hears him say.

"Bella...Bella, honey, it's time for school."

She opens her eyes and looks up, trying to understand what he's telling her, but it's not Edward she sees.

Her father stands above her, in her bedroom, looking slightly worried. "Are you ok? Your alarm has been going off for some time now."

She groans and sits up on the bed. "It's okay, dad. I'm just tired. I was up studying late last night." Her face turns red hot when she remembers why she feels so tired. "I'm up now."

He hums. "Okay, kid, I'm off to work," he says and leaves her room. She tugs at her hair and gets up. She thinks about the way Edward left her last night and can't help but feel forlorn. She doesn't know how she'll be able to face him at school, but she knows she has to.

He regrets sleeping with her; that much was obvious last night. She pressured him when he told her that he didn't want to do that. It was all her fault. If she loses him as a friend, it will be her just punishment. "What he must think of me now," she laments.

Her shower is quick, and she leaves home without eating anything. Her stomach is in knots anyway from her thoughts of his more-than-certain disapproval. Her eyes are full of tears that she tries to keep at bay. She doesn't know how he will react to her when he sees her at school.

She hopes that things will not change between them but knows it's a futile dream. That thought brings her back to the dream she was having right before she was awoken by her father. An involuntary groan leaves her. She can still feel his hands and mouth on her, and it doesn't help her relax. She knows that scene will not be repeated ever again. She will only be able to touch him like that in her dreams.

She was stupid. She realizes that now. Losing her virginity had become a goal for her; being sure that if that happened, she would suddenly turn into a different person. One who would be more confident and sure of herself. "Fat chance," she scoffs. "I'm still the same fat, ugly Bella I was before, and I have lost my best friend in the process."

Bella is so distracted by her thoughts, she doesn't realize that she has driven to school, until she looks around and sees people staring at her in the parking lot. _Oh God_, she thinks. _I'm so screwed up. How long have I been standing here, staring of toward nothing in particular? People will think I've lost it_.

She takes a deep breath and prepares to exit the truck. _It's now or never_, she thinks. _It's not as if staying in the car will make things better. If it could though, I would probably do it. I would graduate from there._

She opens the door and comes face to face with her best friend, Alice. Startled, she almost falls on her ass.

Alice giggles and steadies her. "What's the matter Bella? You seem to be more uncoordinated than ever today." Her bright blue eyes search for an answer, and Bella knows that if she doesn't gather herself pretty quickly, Alice will be onto her. She doesn't want that. Her five-foot-tall friend is a handful when she wants to know something, and she doesn't stop until she gets what she wants.

Bella gulps; she tries to get rid of the lump lodged in her throat and shakes her head. "Nothing's wrong, Alice. I just didn't see you standing there, and you startled me. It's not as if I'm the most coordinated person on the planet," she says.

Alice laughs. "No, that you are not. Okay, girl, let's go rock that History test." She grabs Bella by the elbow and drags her to the school entrance.

Despite her short stature, short spiky black hair and pixie characteristics, which make her look like a fairy, Alice is actually quite strong. Bella doesn't have a chance at holding her friend back, so she shrugs her shoulders and obediently follows.

Her eyes are on the ground, and she doesn't look where she's going. She is just following her friend's footsteps when she hears Alice speak. "Edward is acting strange today. I think something's going on."

"What do you mean?" she asks, and her eyes scan her surroundings frantically in search of him. She sees him standing by his car on the opposite side of the lot. Far away from where he usually parks, right next to her. His posture looks defeated. His eyes are cast down, and his fingers go through his hair, tugging at it harshly.

"Did something happen?" she hears Alice ask. She takes a deep breath and answers, as indifferently as she possibly can.

"No. I mean...he hasn't told me anything."

"Huh..." Alice responds. "I would have sworn that..." She looks back at Bella and stops mid-sentence. "Never mind, if it's something serious, he'll tell us about it, right?" she says and continues walking toward the school.

Alice's intelligent eyes do not miss the fact that today Edward parked his car as far away from his usual spot as possible. Between that and the fact there was not a greeting gesture between Bella and Edward, who are usually as thick as thieves. Something happened between them; she is sure of that, but now is not the time to try and find out what it was. She can wait until school is over, can't she? _Well, lunch break is much more palatable_, she decides.

In the mean time, Bella finds herself drowning in the memory of his image out in the parking lot and his refusal to even look at her. Her heart tries to beat its way out of her chest, and her teeth draw blood from her bottom lip. The teacher's entrance in the classroom forces her to abandon her hopeless thoughts. He hands out papers for the test, and she is forced to focus on that for the time being. She is done first and asks if she may be excused. After she gets permission, she leaves the room, keeping her eyes on the ground as she exits. She doesn't see the look Alice gives her. She doesn't see Edward's face as his hand clenches, breaking his pen. She wants to be away for a while, to be able to breathe. She exits the school and stumbles her way to the line of trees surrounding the school yard.

She flops down against the trunk of a tree and closes her eyes. She doesn't see the boy perched above her on a thick branch, but he sees her. He knows who she is. He's been watching her for a while now, and he really likes her. Her beauty is not as obvious as some other girls' in this school, but she has something that draws him to her.

He decides that now is as good a time as ever to talk to her and get to know her. His voice startles her when she hears him greeting her from above her head.

"Hi," she replies and makes to stand up and leave.

"No, don't get up," he pleads. "I'm coming down." Then he jumps and is suddenly in front of her. Her eyes are wide as she takes his form in. He is very tall, probably over six-feet tall, and he makes her feel small. His long, black hair and dark eyes, accompanied by his dark chocolate colored skin, give him an exotic look. He smiles at her, and she gets a warm feeling in her heart. "I'm Jacob," he says and offers his hand to shake.

She smiles back at him shyly and blushes. "I'm Bella. I'm sorry I interrupted your...um...perching? What were you doing up on that tree anyway?" she asks and is immediately mortified by her forwardness.

His loud laugh makes her jump. He doesn't seem to mind her question. "It's where I usually go when I want to have some peace and quiet," he says. "Or when I want to smoke and don't want to get caught. I come here all the time. But this is the first time I have seen you here." His smile is gentle. "So what has brought you to my part of the woods?" he asks with his voice full of humor.

Bella feels very at ease with him, and she's not used to that with people she doesn't know. "Maybe I came here looking for a guy that would offer me a cigarette," she quips. His incredulous stare makes her bristle.

"What?" she asks.

He doesn't answer her but, instead, pulls out a pack of cigarettes and offers one to her. She bites her lip for a moment and takes a cigarette, circling it in her fingers. Her mind goes through all the advice she has heard against smoking, but with slightly trembling hands, she brings it to her mouth and waits.

He pulls his lighter and lights the cigarette. When she first inhales, she feels like her throat is on fire. She starts coughing, trying to expel the foul smoke from her body, and he smirks. "That's what I thought," he says, and she is incensed.

She glares at him and pulls a second time. She coughs some more but doesn't stop. By the time it is half way burned, she can inhale the smoke without feeling the need to cough her lungs out. She is a little dizzy though, so she sits back down against the tree. Her head feels like it's floating, and a small smile appears on her face.

He is impressed by her stubbornness but doesn't say so. "Good?" he asks, unable to keep from teasing her. She opens her eyes and tilts her head as she observes him. She pulls another drag and exhales the smoke upward.

"Not what I want but close enough," she says quietly.

"And what is it that you want?"

"To forget everything for a while. To just...forget"

"What..." he starts asking, but she stops him mid sentence.

"Stuff. Just stuff."

They stay like that for some time, just gazing at the trees, silent, each lost in their own heads.

"Do you go to school here?" she asks. "I don't remember seeing you before."

"No, just hanging out. I go to La Push, but I can't find any peace and quiet there. Everybody knows me. Here, not so much."

"So you cut class to come here and hang out? By yourself?" she asks. She finds it hard to believe.

"People have certain expectations of me. Sometimes I need to get away from it all. You should know about that, Bella Swan."

"I didn't tell you my last name. How...?"

"You don't remember me, but I remember the chief's daughter. We used to make mud pies together when we were kids."

She looks at him wide eyed. "You're Jacob Black? Billy's son? Oh my god, you're a year younger than me. What do they feed you down in La Push? You're huge!" As soon as the words leave her mouth, her face turns a brought crimson. She is mortified.

Thankfully, he doesn't seem offended by her remark but rather flattered. He flexes his biceps and winks at her. She giggles and smacks his arm.

"Damn woman, don't ruin the merchandise," he mock cries. Her laughter is like music to his ears. "So are you cutting class too?" he asks.

She looks at him intensely until she hears the school bell ring. She jumps to her feet and starts going back, then turns around and smiles at him. "Thanks for the smoke and the company," she says. "It was nice."

"I'll be here tomorrow," he says, and she nods.

She makes it back to school just in time for the tardy bell and gets to her biology class just before the teacher enters the classroom. Her steps as she approaches her desk get heavier and more reluctant because the person occupying her thoughts since last night sits there.

He doesn't look at her, and she feels her heart fall down to her stomach. It seems that ignoring her is his new way of dealing with her. She bites her lip and takes a deep breath. She can't let him see how much he hurt her because ultimately it was all her fault. She asked for it, and now she's paying the price. He warned her, before they made love... _No, it wasn't making love_, her inner voice quips, _at least not for him_. It was a pity fuck. She cringes at the word fuck, but it's true. Isn't it?

After all, he has Tanya freaking-beauty-queen Denali at his beck and call, so what possible way would there be for her to even stand a chance at winning his affection? She's good enough for a friend, a buddy, but a lover? No, not even close. Her unsteady, unattractive physique, with the excess fat and unappealing features, cannot entice anyone, much less Edward Cullen, who is the epitome of male beauty.

Edward, in the mean time, keeps trying to find a way to talk to her, to ask for her forgiveness. He feels his heart beating wildly in his chest, and his hands are clammy. He alternates between wiping his sweaty hands on his jeans and tugging at his hair in frustration. Her avoidance of him and the way she cringes, give him a rather plain view of the fact that she can't stand to be near him. Nevertheless, he has to try. He has to make this right. "Bella," he whispers and sees her tense.

"Yeah?"

"I wanted to say... look I'm sorry for what happened last night. I didn't mean to..." he starts, but the look of loathing she stabs him with makes him pause.

"I know. It was nothing. I asked you for a favor, and you indulged me. Let's forget about it, ok?"

Her words slice him, and he feels the blood drain from his face. "What? No, that's not what I..."

"It wasn't a big deal, all right?" she continues.

"I mean, if you hadn't agreed, I would have done it anyway with someone else," she continues. She can't believe what she's saying, but she has to make him understand that she doesn't expect anything else from him, as much as she wants to have everything.

"Not a big deal?" he gulps. _This is not Bella_, he thinks, _not my Bella_. He doesn't know how to approach her. Her words ring inside his head, and he takes a deep breath trying to calm down. It is then that the scent of smoke reaches him, and he turns to her asking incredulously, "Did you smoke?"

"What?"

"I can smell smoke on you. When did you start smoking?"

"Why? Are you going to ground me?" she quips.

"Bella, why... This isn't you."

"Maybe you don't know me that well, then."

He ignores her answer and keeps going.

"Who gave you the cigarette?"

"None of your business," she bites.

"I am your friend. Of course it's my business!"

"So we're back to _that_ again! A guy I met today gave me the cigarette. Are you happy now that you know? Now that your curiosity is quenched, can we go back to watching the class?"

She is furious, and her hands clench and unclench at her sides. His condescending tone drives her crazy. She can't believe that after ignoring her for most of the day, he now has the gall to pretend to be her father.

"What guy?" he asks but she ignores him. "Bella, who was that guy?" he insists. "Where did you meet him?"

"Edward, I am tired of this. Let it go."

"Not until you tell me. Did he...did you...I mean were you...?"

"What, Edward? What are you asking? Did I like him? Did I kiss him? Did I _fuck_ him? Is that what you want to know? Did he do to me what you did last night?"

Her words are hushed, so that no one else but him can hear her, but her tone shows that she's had enough. He has no right to judge her. After all, he was there with her last night. He was inside her, filling her, touching her, but he doesn't love her or even want her, so what is his problem now?

"Bella," he says, his voice so broken, she barely recognizes it.

"Bella what? You have no right to tell me what to do. You may have been my friend but... After what happened last night and the way you reacted then and again this morning? Pretending I'm not there? Well, if that is what you want, I guess there is no point in continuing this, is there?" she spits at him.

"I mean, I'm sorry for pressuring you and forcing you to do that. Believe me, I regret ever doing it, but I can't take it back. I can only say that I will leave you alone from now on, and I expect you to do the same. Just don't...don't judge me. I'm already doing one hell of a job by myself."

Her ire, which fueled her rant, winds down and so does the class, apparently. As soon as the bell rings, she bolts out of her seat and leaves him standing there, looking dumbfounded. She locks herself up in one of the stalls in the girls' bathroom and tries to stifle her sobs so no one can hear her.

That's when she hears some girls enter the bathroom and, from their voices, realizes they are Jessica, Lauren and, of course, Tanya.

"So what's wrong with Edward today?" Jessica asks.

"I don't know. But there must be something going on with Fatella. They didn't talk at all today, which is actually fantastic," Tanya replies. "I don't understand how he can be friends with someone like her. I mean, do you see her? She's all...fat and gross. I know there's nothing sexual between them, of course, but still... He probably tried to take some of the food she was stuffing her face with, and she bit him," she says and the other two laugh.

Bella hears rustling noises indicating the opening and closing of bags and then...

"Anyway, it's just as well. He can't expect me to hang out with her when we are together. It's not good for my image."

Bella hears snickering and more comments from the other two girls, and then the door opens and closes again, signaling their departure. She stands frozen in her spot, unable to move even a finger. The confirmation from Tanya's own mouth that she and Edward are an item, or will be soon enough, tears her heart apart. Bile rises in her throat, and she ends up emptying her stomach.

She doesn't care about what they said; she is used to that. It is the image of Edward and Tanya together, as he had been with her last night, that turns her stomach and burns her eyes. She slowly leaves the stall and washes her clammy face. When she looks at the mirror, she sees what they see: an ugly, fat lump with no redeeming qualities, looking back at her.

It is no wonder Edward left after he realized what he had done. He probably felt bile rise in his throat, as well. She can't blame him. He is right.

After slowly walking out of the bathroom, she leaves the school, gets in her truck and goes home. There is no way she is going to be strong enough to make it through the school day in her current condition.

**A/N: **Thank you for reading! Hope to see you soon.

Love, Kallie.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

A million **thanks** to Project Team Beta, SilverAnemone13 and Sweetishbubble, my betas for this chapter. They fixed it up, and made suggestions. It's just that after taking their advice—which was good—I went all ninja on it, and ended up with a whole new chunk of un-betaed stuff, so…. ummm, any mistakes? Yeah, they're mine.

-**Please?**-

Chapter 3

Charlie's house is rather small, but right now, seen from the inside of her truck's cabin, it resembles a safe haven to Bella. She always felt secure inside its walls. Deciding that she needs that feeling of reassurance, she gets out of the truck and bangs on the truck door. Small flecks of rust rain down on the paved driveway when she does, but right now, she could care less.

_That stupid, filthy son of a bitch—No, no Esme is not to blame for that asshole_. She fumes as she goes into the house, slamming the front door so hard, the few pictures hanging on the walls in the hallway rattle, but thankfully don't fall. In her rage, she cannot see straight.

_Edward is the most selfish person I have ever had the misfortune to know, _she thinks_. _After treating her the way that he did last night and this morning, he then had the audacity to judge her from his high horse.

Comprehending his behavior, under the circumstances, is impossible. She could understand the act of jealousy he put on today if he loved her, or even wanted her for himself, but he doesn't and he never did. So where does he get off telling her what to do and how she should behave? And really, it's not as if she did drugs or something! She just smoked a freaking cigarette!

Her mind goes back to Jacob and a small smile appears on her lips. He didn't judge her or berate her when they talked this morning. He treated her as if she is a person worthy of his attention and he told her he will be there tomorrow, so she knows he wants to see her again. She knows that he's not looking for a girlfriend in her—she's not delusional—but he can be her friend.

A pang of pain hits her chest at the thought of the friend she has lost, and she puts her trembling hand above her heart, trying to ease its frantic beating. Images of his caresses flood her mind and she shakes her head, forcing them away. It wasn't real. None of it was. The adoration, the desperation she saw in his movements when he was claiming her body, it was all an act or even worse; her over-eager imagination.

As soon as it was over, he showed her his true colors. He couldn't wait to get the hell away from her, to erase the mistake he made to bang the fat girl. He probably thought that she would cling to him and ruin his reputation. Edward Cullen, having sex with Fatella? What a horror!

Swallowing back the bile that keeps rising in her throat, she takes deep breaths and tries to calm down. She goes to the kitchen and opens the fridge. Right now she needs some comfort food. She doesn't even realize that she's stuffing herself with everything that's in the fridge, until she catches her reflection in the kitchen window. Then, she gets sick and barely has the time to reach the downstairs bathroom before she expels everything she ate.

Horrible heaves rack her body, until there is nothing to come out. When it's all over, she feels so exhausted she can't pick herself up from the floor. That's the position Charlie finds her in, a few minutes later.

"Bella, honey, what's wrong? I got a call from the school, telling me that you skipped classes. Are you feeling ill?"

Suddenly thankful for the bout of sickness, Bella considers it a blessing that he saw her like this, because it was going to be very difficult to explain her running away from school otherwise.

"Yeah, Char... Dad. I must have caught a bug or something. I couldn't stay."

Her head is down. She can't face him when she's lying to him. She is a trembling mess, her hands shake uncontrollably, and she keeps trying to take deep breaths to calm her racing heart.

"I think I'm just going to go to my room and lay down for a while, Dad. I'm not feeling so well."

His concern is evident as he looks at her. She feels so ashamed!

"I'll be fine, Dad. You can go back to work now. I'll just get some rest. Okay?"

Ever the police officer, Charlie takes another look at her and Bella fights to keep her squirming from being obvious. She tries very hard not to reveal anything that might make him suspicious. She slowly gets on her feet and throws some water on her face. _The cool water feels so soothing on her burning skin!_ She brushes her teeth, all the while feeling her father's eyes on her, evaluating her. She hopes that he won't start the interrogation, because she can't lie for shit and he knows it. Thankfully, he seems to let it go and she can breathe again.

"Okay, Bells. Call me if you need anything. Or, maybe I should take you to the hospital, to get examined?" he asks her.

Bella is horrified of the possibility to come face to face with Edward's father, Carlisle, so she quickly reassures Charlie that she's going to be fine.

"It's probably just one of those twenty-four-hour bugs, Dad! I'm sure I'll be fine by tomorrow. There's no need to go to the hospital!"

Charlie senses that she is not going to relent, so he leaves to head back to the police station. Bella breathes a sigh of relief and goes up to her room. She can only stay in it for a couple of minutes though, because she starts feeling suffocated from the memories of last night, so she grabs a blanket and situates herself on the living room couch. She flicks on the TV and lounges there, lost in her thoughts.

A couple of hours later, the doorbell starts ringing incessantly, bringing her up from her stupor. She slowly gets up to see who it is, and freezes in place as she watches Edward nervously tug at his hair, while he waits for her to open the door. She can't think straight, her legs give out on her and she crumbles to the floor.

"I can't let him in, I can't let him hurt me again!" she mumbles.

He calls her name and rings the bell again and again. After a couple of minutes, he starts banging on the door, clearly frustrated.

"Bella, open the door. I have to talk to you, please!" she hears him say.

"Go away, Edward! I don't want to talk right now, or ever for that matter." She huffs and tries unsuccessfully to keep her tears at bay. Feeling frustrated with her inability to reign herself in, she continuously wipes her face until she can feel it has turned red and is sore.

Not hearing anything from the door anymore, she assumes that Edward must have given up and left. _Of course he would leave, it's not as if I am somebody worth fighting for_, she thinks. Getting up from the floor, she looks up and freezes in place.

A gasp escapes her lips at the sight of Edward standing in front of her. At first, her mind struggles to comprehend how it could have happened, but then she remembers that the back door was unlocked. Her breathing is ragged and her face turns red. Her mouth opens and closes a couple of times trying to form words, but it's simply impossible. She can sense it, this rage that has been building up inside her since last night, now reaches the boiling point. She swallows the lump that's lodged in her throat and glares at him.

"Why are you here? Why are you inside my house, when I have made it more than obvious that I don't want to see you?" she spits at him. She feels her heart clenching at the sight of the desperation he exudes, as he keeps his eyes unflinchingly on her, but she soldiers through it. She can't let him see the way he affects her.

His hands reach into his hair and tug at it. Bella recognizes it as one of his nervous tells. "Bella, can't you please hear me out? I know I made a terrible mistake by leaving like that... last night, but... won't you even let me apologize to you?" he pleads for a chance.

Tears gather in the corners of her eyes again. She wraps her hands around her middle, trying to keep it together. _I can't cry,_ she tries to convince herself. _I won't give him the satisfaction_. She takes a deep breath as covertly as she can, and when she speaks, her voice is so cold she barely even recognizes it herself.

"You want to apologize? Very well, Edward, go ahead. But, just because I'm giving you this chance to get whatever it is you have to get off your chest, doesn't mean that I will forgive you. I hope you are aware of that!"

He gulps and nods. His face is an anguished mask and Bella finds it difficult to keep looking at him. Her heart nearly bursts from her chest when he starts speaking, and the loud buzzing sound in her ears makes it very hard to listen to what he says.

"…and I wanted you for so long! I was just too afraid to tell you, because if you didn't feel the same, or things didn't end up well, it would probably ruin our friendship."

These words break through the noise, and cause her breathing to suddenly stop. "What? What do you... what are you saying?" she stutters. She feels pretty confident that she must have heard wrong. She scoffs incredulously and he raises his soul-piercing eyes to hers. She can't read his face as she usually does, but there's something there that makes the hair in the back of her neck rise and goose-bumps to appear all over her body.

Edward doesn't remove his gaze from her eyes when he repeats, "I have wanted you for more than two years. Last night...I thought that I hurt you, that you regretted what happened between us and I couldn't cope with it." He lowers his eyes, unable to look at her, feeling ashamed of himself. "It was the wrong thing to do, I know, but... at that moment, hearing you utter those words would destroy me, so I left before it could happen."

Valiantly trying to keep himself from crumbling in front of her, he takes deep breaths, because this moment, right now? It's the most defining of his life so far. He has to make her understand, to believe him when he says that she's all he has been thinking about for a very long time. The way she views herself is not only entirely distorted, but furthermore drives him completely insane.

When he hears her scoff at his declaration, his patience, which was already worn to a thread, suddenly snaps. "You may doubt my words, but can you seriously not remember the effect you had on me? I couldn't keep my hands, or any other body part, off of you."

A violent wave of lust sweeps through her, as unbidden images from the night before, flood her mind. She bites her lower lip so hard, it draws blood. Then, her eyes close, to protect her poor heart from the sight of him, and the fire in his eyes. That way, she doesn't see the way he looks at that tortured lip; she doesn't see his hand move, as it reaches to free it from her teeth.

But she definitely feels his touch, as a current runs through her body. The small points of contact with his hand—her lip, her chin and cheek—feel as if they're burning. A small whimper escapes her, as if she no longer has control of her own actions. Her eyes fly open, surprised by the sound she made. Suddenly, her vision is full of his vibrant green eyes, as he raises his head and pins her with his piercing gaze.

"Bella, I... I'm sorry I left, but I really thought I hurt you, and I couldn't deal with it. Why did you cry?" he gulps, and tries to level his breathing.

He knows that her answer might break him, but he has to know. He cannot run again, not this time. He can't stay away from her anymore, so he must try and fix whatever it was that made her cry when they made love.

Closing her eyes, she takes a deep breath. What she has to say is not easy, but she can't let him believe that he hurt her. "When I asked you to... umm... have sex with me, I only saw it as a favor from one friend to another," she whispers. "I have to admit that I thought that as my friend, you would do it without judging me. It would be less degrading if you were the one...you wouldn't ridicule my fat body; you wouldn't tell everyone if I was horrible in bed," she says and pauses, because what she just said, is too hard to admit.

"Horrible in bed? What the… Bella, are you serious?" he asks, incredulously.

"Please, let me finish. This isn't easy for me," she pleads.

Hearing her talk about herself this way, doesn't sit well—at all—with Edward, but he has no choice, except to let her have her say. His eyes burn holes in her face and his lips are pressed in a tight line, as he stiffly nods.

When she sees that he complies with her request, she continues. "All that changed, the moment you touched me. You were doing things to me, things that I had never felt before and... I knew that being claimed by you was... beyond what I expected." Her hands go in her hair and pull, trying to alleviate the headache she feels taking over.

Despite the tightness around her temples, she is determined to get everything out now, before she loses what little courage she has left. "It felt so right, but you had never shown me that you wanted something like that from me. The feeling of your body inside of me…" she whispers, but suddenly stops when she hears a strangled moan.

Questioning eyes dart to him. His face is contorted in a grimace and his eyes are shut tight. He seems to have trouble breathing; either that or he's not breathing at all. She doesn't understand why he's reacting this way, but since he doesn't say anything else or try to stop her, she keeps going. "I never wanted it to end, but it wasn't possible. I tried to keep my tears from falling, but when I came and then I felt you come, it just wasn't... I couldn't hold them back anymore. And then you left and I..."

Her tears fall endlessly as he stands ramrod-straight and looks at her, hoping, but not daring to believe her words. That she felt the way he felt, when they were joined as one... that she wanted more, just like he did! That her tears were not born of shame or guilt, but by the need to have more with him, to have him as her own is unbelievable!

With trembling hands, he wipes her tears and lifts her face so that she looks in his eyes. He needs her to understand and believe him. "Bella, I love you. I have been in love with you for more than two years now. I know the way I behaved last night was despicable, but I need you to give me the chance to make this right."

There is no sound in the room, except for their harsh breaths. They both know that they have reached a point of no return. The truths they shared, just moments ago, change everything. They have to decide whether to accept their feelings and become something new, or go back to where they were, before anything happened.

Well, Bella has to decide what she wants, because Edward already knows. He can't go back to just being her friend, not after the night they shared. Not with the way he feels about her. It would be hypocritical. Although, he would rather be her friend, than not be part of her life at all.

The silence stretches and he decides to bite the proverbial bullet and find out one way or the other. He takes a deep breath and asks, "Bella, will you be my girlfriend? Will you let me hold you and kiss you and make love to you? Not as a favor to a friend, but because I can't stay away from you anymore. I tried. Believe me, I tried, but I can't do it. Not now that I know how it feels to be inside of you."

At first, her gasp is the only indication that she heard what he said. Her mind swims and it's impossible to get her tongue to utter the words she needs to tell him. So she just nods. A small smile appears on his face and it seems to Bella as if the world has suddenly gone brighter. "Kiss me?" he asks her with a throaty voice and, still tongue-tied, she reaches for him and places a sweet, innocent kiss on his lips.

And then his eyes sparkle, and his brilliant smile blinds her. Her breath leaves her body in a harsh exhale when his lips find hers in a searing kiss, and his tongue delves in her mouth to seal their new agreement. Their moans are muffled as they refuse to pull away from each other, even for a second. It feels like an hour has passed, before they are forced to part in order to take a much needed breath. His forehead leans on hers; his chest rising and falling violently as he tries to stay in control.

"You will be the death of me," he groans, his arms tightening around her, afraid to let her go.

-**End Chapter**-

**A/N: **1)I want to thank you all for taking the time to read this story. It makes me happy to see that so many people seem to like it. So, thanks!

2) I hope you all have a merry Christmas, if you're celebrating it.

3) Before I forget it (again), I want to thank SimplyShawna for giving me my first review for this story on ffnet. Unfortunately, I was unable to respond to it through PM. So, thank you! And to answer you, it was obviously not the end. It may not be written yet and glitches have appeared (couldn't send this chapter to PTB due to computer problems last week), but there is a plot, and things will be changing soon for the two friends.

4) I have not issued a warning up until now, but I have to tell you all, that after the next chapter, things will get dark. Very, very dark. So, fair warning. If abuse, rape, and drug use are sensitive subjects for you, this is not your story. Consider it finished now, with this chapter as its finale.

I hope to see you soon.

Love,

Kallie. xo


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

A million **thanks** to Project Team Beta, Jcat5507 and AnthroBug, my betas for this chapter. They fixed it up, and made suggestions. They seriously whipped my commas into shape. I was also told that there was a lot of moaning going on (that cracked me up). But they were right, so I had them whimper and cry out instead. What can I say? I like E and B vocal. *shrugs* On with the show.

-**Please?**-

Chapter 4

Fire.

A roaring fire travels through her veins and burns her.

It starts as small flames that warm her heart when his lips touch her eyelids, her cheeks, erasing the tears that mar them.

Then, it grows bigger when his lips mold with hers, and his tongue enters her mouth to explore, to get reacquainted.

But now his hands reach everywhere, trying to purge the hurt and the rejection they have both been feeling since last night's events. Now, she's burning with the force of a thousand lightning bolts running through her body.

Breathing is inconsequential. What's important is the passion she feels emanating from him; the way he touches her and holds her close to him, as if afraid that were he to let her go, even just a little, she would never come back.

He wants her. It's obvious, and her bruised heart revels in it. So, in light of that knowledge, who would care about breathing? Not her, that's for sure.

So she returns the sentiment by pulling his hair and grinding against him. His desperate moan makes her feel like her stomach feels light as air.

Forehead rests upon forehead as their breaths are panted through swollen lips. Waves of hot air are thrust upon her sensitive skin, bringing his addictive scent to her nose. She inhales deeply, greedily, and feels his aroma filling her body, claiming her as his.

"Bella...please! Tell me that you want this, too," he whimpers desperately. He feels like a wire pulled so taut, it's about to snap. His hands ache to touch her, to bring her close to him, into him. He wants to inhale her, lock her into his body and heart, and never let her go. The need for her is eating him alive, and his control is all but absent, like a vampire's craving for blood.

Only his lust, his overwhelming thirst, is not for her blood, but for her body, her heart, and her mind—her very essence.

Bella knows this thirst; she feels it in her bones. There's not much she can do other than accept it. She claws at his shirt and molds her body to his.

"Up...Upstairs. My father may come back any minute now," she whispers.

Then, she says nothing more as her eyes zero in on the vein in his neck, which flutters rapidly. The wild thrumming of his heartbeat, proof that he is as affected by all this as she is. The call of his skin clouds her mind. Her lips attack his neck, and her teeth slightly graze his skin. She feels him freeze and hears him hiss. Then nothing more. All is lost in the way his skin feels on her tongue and that wonderful taste of his: musky and spicy and something else she can't describe.

Before she has the time to realize what's happening, her back is on the floor, and his body is covering hers. He is everywhere; on her mouth, on her breasts. Lips, hands, and teeth are exploring, re-igniting the smoldering embers. Her shirt is removed, but she doesn't feel it. Her bra follows, and her jeans are next. Her nipples crave him and grow firm and pebbled: an invitation for his burning tongue.

When his mouth touches her heaving breasts, she arches her back, and a silent scream leaves her. When his lips close around and suck on one of her peaks, she feels as if a string is being pulled between her breast and her lower abdomen.

"Edward, please! Oh God, oh God!" she softly cries when she feels his hand go under her now drenched panties, and his fingers enter her in one swift motion.

Almost all sensory input is lost. She can't see. She can't feel anything but his lips as they travel lower and lower. Her panties, completely ruined by her arousal, slowly descend her legs with the assistance of his impatient hands, but she doesn't even feel it.

Finally, his mouth reaches _there_, and she feels his warm tongue on _that_ spot. The spot that makes her tremble and shake and writhe below him. She is at his mercy, and he knows it.

Reveling in the fact that all her senses are focused on the pleasure he can give her, Edward hopes her mind can be persuaded that he truly does want her. He wants her to be unable to focus on anything else, except the pleasure he is giving her. He wants her to feel this; to give her everything, so that she can't even think about being away from him. His body is screaming for relief. His aching erection is begging to be buried in her sweet, wet warmth.

But he has to do this first before he can finally be where he wants to be. So he clenches his teeth and thrusts his fingers even harder inside her. When he feels her fingers pull his hair to keep him where he is, grinding herself where she is desperate for him to be, he moans against her clit and sends her toward a spiraling orgasm.

Before she has the time to come down from the clouds where he sent her, his clothes are gone, and with a powerful thrust, is all the way inside her.

Forgotten is the idea to go upstairs; the thought of stopping this from happening, or even delaying so that they cannot be caught in a compromising position, is unthinkable.

Eyes shut tight, muscles locked into place, and teeth grinding, he fights to overcome the need to let go right now and come with a blinding force. Her tight walls, still fluttering from her orgasm, squeeze him, nearly rendering his efforts null.

Even if he has done this quite a few times before, it was never like that for him. He never felt this desperate to be inside a woman's body. To want the warmth and the connection he feels with Bella.

He drops his head into the crook of her neck and takes deep breaths, trying to calm down. Then, he remembers that just yesterday she lost her virginity and may still be sore. A wave of guilt hits him, and he raises his head to look at her.

"Bella, did I...did I hurt you? Are you still sore from..." He can't finish his sentence.

Smiling, she runs her fingers through his hair, massaging his scalp and causing a small groan to leave his lips.

"I'm fine," she tells him. "In fact, I would be even better if you just...um, moved?" She mutters the last part and blushes.

He searches her eyes to see if she's telling the truth. The crimson color her cheeks have taken on makes him smirk at her.

"When you say move...you mean something like...this?" he asks and pulls out a bit only to come back and bury himself deep inside her.

Her answering gasp is music to his ears, and he decides to tease her. He withdraws almost completely, barely still inside her.

"Or maybe like this?" he asks and plunges into her again, causing them both to moan.

Biting her lower lip, she traces his quivering muscles that showcase the amount of restraint he exercises to be able to be like this with her; to make her feel that they can be playful and quirky as they always are, even at a time like this.

Bella appreciates the thought, but her need for him is reaching heights that make it difficult to think straight, much less be playful.

So she beams at him and lets her hands trail his back. They go lower and lower, committing to memory the slopes and valleys of his toned musculature and leaving goosebumps in their wake.

Finally, these wandering hands reach their destination: the firm, rounded, crowned by the cutest dimples, ass cheeks.

His eyebrow is raised when he feels her hands massaging his ass, but he says nothing, waiting to see what she'll do. And when she firmly grips him and raises her hips, pushing him forcefully inside her, his eyes roll back in his head, and all semblance of control is lost.

A dance of coming together and withdrawing begins. Their moans and pleas and cries for "more" and "God, yesss" and skin slapping and breaths panting, serve as the soundtrack to their journey to completion.

And then she throws her head back, her inner walls clamping down on him, and he is thrust into an orgasm his body can barely contain. He drops his head to her neck as he feels his body convulse with the power of it. His teeth sink into the juncture between her neck and shoulder, and he sucks with all he's got, trying to muffle his loud groan as he empties inside her.

It seems as if ages have passed before they're able to find the strength to pull apart, but eventually he rolls off of her and lands on his back on the floor next to her. They both look at the ceiling while waiting for their breaths to even out, but their hands hold each other in a vice grip.

"So..." he says. "We never made it upstairs, huh?"

She giggles and still sounds breathless when she says, "Yeah. Maybe next time we'll make it."

He raises his eyebrow and smirks. "Next time? Are you trying to kill me, woman?"

"No, I need you alive for what I'm planning to do with you, thank you very much," she quips. "After all, we are teenagers and known for our swift recovery time, aren't we?"

Edward's hearty laugh melts her insides, and she looks at him with a sweet smile etched on her face.

"I love you," she tells him, reaching to wipe a bead of sweat from his temple. He turns on his side and brings the hand he was holding to his lips.

"I love you. So much," he whispers and places another kiss on the back of her hand. They stay there, lost in each other's eyes for a while, but the cold floor starts to grow uncomfortable now that their minds are not otherwise occupied. They get up and quickly dress, throwing surreptitious glances at each other.

Upstairs in her room, they sit on the bed. Bella looks around; she feels a bit nervous now. She doesn't know how to act in this new situation. She never had a boyfriend before, and she doesn't know how to talk to Edward about it. He senses her unease, and he lifts her chin, forcing her to meet his eyes.

"Hey..." he says, cupping her cheek. "What's wrong?"

Bella bites her lip. "I don't know. You're gonna think I'm stupid, but...I don't know how to act around you now?" She forms her declaration as a question.

"What do you mean?" he asks, clearly puzzled.

"Well, I've never had a boyfriend before, and now you...I mean, we were friends, but now we're more and...it's different? We are different, right?" she asks, gesturing between them.

Nodding at first, he then shakes his head, and she's confused. "Bella, we _are_ different because there is more between us now than there was before, but that doesn't mean we can't be friends anymore."

Seeing her so insecure about their relationship, does something to him. But he has to acknowledge that, to a certain point, she is right. She's never done this before—the boyfriend thing—and it's normal to feel bewildered at the transition. He gets up and starts pacing, thinking of ways to make her understand.

"Things don't have to change between us in that respect. I don't want them to change," he tells her. "I still want to be your best friend, and I want to be your boyfriend. One doesn't cancel the other out. Don't freak out on me now, okay?" he pleads, kneeling in front of her and taking her hands within his own.

"You can still tell me everything, and I will still tell you everything. We can still have study time and sit together at school and laugh together. We can even fight like we used to, when you were too stubborn to admit that I was right." He smirks as he delivers that last jab at her and laughs when she playfully slaps his chest.

"Yeah? You mean I can still tell you that you are an arrogant, know-it-all ass, who wouldn't know whether he's coming or going if it weren't for me pointing him in the right direction?" she quips.

"Sure. As long as your admittance, that you love that arrogant ass, follows that statement."

"Deal!" She laughs and launches herself on him. "Now, quit the horsing around, and let's do some homework," she orders and gives him a quick kiss on the lips.

"Ma'am. Yes, ma'am," he yells as he mockingly salutes her. "Am I going to be rewarded if I behave and let you study?" he asks next, with a glint in his eyes.

"Yes. I'll give you your most favorite thing in the world before you leave. A piece of chocolate pie I baked yesterday, with fresh strawberries on top. You never got to try it before you..." she trails off and bites her lower lip. She doesn't want to remember that; it's still too painful.

He shakes his head no. He knows what she's thinking, and he feels guilty for having given her that impression. "That's not my favorite thing," he whispers.

"Oh? Since when?" she asks in the same hushed tone.

"Since I found something that I like even better."

"And what would that be?"

"You. I want you. That's my new most favorite thing. Would you give me that if I were to behave?" he asks her, and his eyes smolder.

Her breaths get shallower as she gulps and nods.

"Anything," she says.

"Anything?" he asks again, licking his lips and moving closer.

"Yeah."

"Good."

"Uh huh."

Their faces are about an inch apart, when a door bangs downstairs, acting like an ice-cold shower on their overheated flesh.

The chief is home.

Jumping away from each other, they quickly open their books and resume poses of two meticulous students just as her bedroom door opens, and Charlie pops his head in.

"Bella, how are you?" he asks, and then, registering Edward's presence in her room, says with a hint of surprise. "Oh, Edward! I didn't know you were here."

With a cool demeanor, that Bella is suddenly jealous of, Edward greets Charlie. She knows that—as is customary for her—her face is beet red, but she hopes that her father will blow it off as a symptom of the 'bug'.

"Good evening, Chief. I just came to see how Bella was doing since she left school early. I brought her some homework."

"Ah, good then. Go on, go on. Are you feeling better now?" he asks Bella.

"Yeah, Dad. I told you it was nothing."

"Okay then. I'll be downstairs. Are you staying for dinner, Edward? I'll order some pizza."

"No thanks, Chief! We'll just finish with our homework, and I'll be going home. My parents are expecting me."

Charlie nods and leaves, heading for his comfy sofa and the sports channel—his personal brand of entertainment.

"We are going to have to tell him about us soon," Edward tells her, and she nods.

"We will. Just give me some time to get used to the idea before we out ourselves, okay?" she pleads.

"Bella, it won't be good if he finds out about us from someone else. He'll think that we're sneaking around, and I don't want that." He tugs his hair. "I want to be able to look him in the eyes, and it's already difficult for me when I remember what I did to his daughter inside his own house. TWICE!"

"Well, his daughter certainly had no objections to what you did to her in this house. In fact, she hopes for a repeat performance sometime in the not-so-distant future," she answers as her hand seductively crawls up his thigh.

Edward stops her by taking her hand in both of his, and his expression turns serious. "Bella, I will not treat you as a dirty secret. I want us to go out on dates, and I want Charlie to trust me. Please, stop trying to seduce your way out of this conversation!" he impatiently tells her.

She huffs. "Okay, I just think that we should keep our status a secret just for a little while. Once it's out there...people are going to ridicule..." she blurts and stops there, unable to continue with her thought that 'people', namely their juvenile classmates at school, will treat her like scum, for daring to even go near a boy like Edward.

"Bella, what...? Ridicule?" he asks incredulously and then stands up again and resumes pacing. "Why would anyone ridicule our relationship? And even if—for some reason unfathomable to me—they did, why would we care what they said?" He stands above her like a menacing god and looks straight in her eyes as he phrases his next words in a low but menacing voice. "I don't care what others think about us, Bella! I care about what _you_ think!"

"Well, _I_ care, Edward! I assure you that as much as I would like not to, I _will care_ if they say that you are so much better than me." She gulps and tries to fight off the tears gathering in the corners of her eyes. Her voice is barely heard when she continues. "That you should be with someone more like you: more beautiful, more popular, thinner!"

Closing her eyes, the conversation she overheard just this morning comes to mind. She fights tooth and nail to keep the tears at bay and takes deep breaths. "Everyone is going to be wondering what it is that I have to offer you, and they will feel sorry for you, and I...I won't be able to stand it. Not at this point, anyway!"

The tears that she managed to stave until now fall, and she furiously wipes at them. "I'm just asking for some time to wrap my mind around this. It won't be forever!" she pleads with him.

Edward feels bile rising in his throat. Her self-deprecating words, her denial to acknowledge their relationship—for fear of what others might think—make him believe that she isn't ready to be with him. She wants him, but not all of him. He is ready to give her everything he has, to be there for her. But the fact is that she wants to keep him a secret—a dirty little secret—aggravates him, and he pulls hard on his hair.

Wishing that things were easier won't get him anywhere. He has no choice now, though. He can't force her to act the way he thinks she should, but he can't stay away from her, either.

So he has to wait and hope that a couple days of thinking the situation over will give her some perspective.

"Bella, I don't think we should continue this discussion right now. Why don't we sleep on it and talk again tomorrow? I'll see you at school?" he asks, trying to show he is unaffected. Unable to stay longer, because he knows that he might say things that could ruin their relationship, he decides to leave for now and let things calm down a bit before they pick the topic up again.

Bella bites her lip and nods. She thinks that if he has the time to think about it tonight, he will realize that she is trying to protect both them and their relationship, until they are stronger and better suited to weather the storm looming ahead.

With a quick kiss on the lips, they part for the night, but their hearts are too heavy by the uncomfortable end of their evening.

Sleep doesn't come easily for either of them. And the dreary skies that greet them in the morning are foreboding for more than just another stormy day in Forks.

-**End Chapter**-

**A/N: **1)I want to thank you all for taking the time to read this story. It makes me happy to see that so many people seem to like it. So, thanks! I would very much love to hear what you think of it so far. Also, any questions I can answer without giving away the plot, I will.

2) Warning. If abuse, rape, and drug use are sensitive subjects for you, this is not your story.

3) Next chapter will be the last one taking place in their teenage years. There will be a significant time jump.

4) Irrelevant announcement. I am participating in PTB's 2013 Writing Challenge and will start posting a new story on my profile. If you are interested in checking it out, you can put me on author's alert. I will start posting sometime next week. That's all for now.

I hope to see you soon.

Love,

Kallie, XOXO


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